Speed-regulator for spring-motors.



No. 728,488. I PATENTED MAY 19, 1903.

G. W. MERRILL, JR. 8 SPEED REGULATOR FOR SPRING MOTORS. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 13, 1901.

N0 MODEL.

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HIS ATTORNEY WITNESSES:

UNITED STATES Patented May 19, 1963.

PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE IV. MERRILL, JR., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., 'ASSIGNOR TO HAWTHORNE AND SHEBLE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENN- SYLVANIA.

SPEED-REGULATOR FOR SPRING-IMOITORS.

.SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 728,488, dated May 19, 1903.

Application filed February 13, 1901. Serial No. 47,102. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. MERRILL, J r., a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvementsin Speed-Regulators for Spring-Motors, of which the following is a specification.

In making a sound-record on a phonograph, graphophone, or similar machine it has been customary to rotate the phonogram-blank at a speed varying in practice from about one hundred and twenty to two hundred rotations per minute, according to the individual ideas of the manufacturer as desirable for the particular character or class of sounds being recorded. In order to secure the best results, the sound-record cylinders should be rotated at the same surface speed when the sound is being reproduced as the phonogram-blank was rotated when the record was being made.

The object of my invention is to produce a speed regulator and indicator to secure this correspondence instantly at the beginning of or otherwise secured on the shaft B. A sleeve the reproduction of the sound, so that the user knowing the speed at which the blank was rotated in making the record may so adjust the regulator that there will result the same speed of rotation of the sound-record cylinder when the record is being reproduced.

I will describe a machine embodying my invention and then point out the novel features thereof in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters of reference indicate similar parts, Figure 1 is a front view of a motor mechanism having attached myimprovement. Fig. 2 is a side View of the governor and its parts. Fig. 3 is a view of the scale on topof the case, and Fig. 4 a detail view.

A designates the box or case inclosing the motor mechanism; A, the motor frame, which, as usual, is a casting secured to the under side of the plate A of the case.

B is the driving-shaft, fitted in bushings in the brackets 19 and I). From the drivingpulley B extends a belt to the main-shaft pulley to drive the phonogram-blank or soundrecord cylinder. The shaft B is driven in the usual manner by means of a spring or springs inclosed within the barrel C through the train of gearing comprising the wheels C, C and C and the pinions 0 ,0 and C as will be readily understood, the pinion 0 being keyed or otherwise secured to the shaft 5 5 B. The spring is provided with the usual winding mechanism I).

A designates a portion of the motor-frame. Passing through this frame are four screws 0., a a and a which engage openings in a base E, which base supports four posts E, constituting the governor -frame. These posts may be bent as shown, the lower ends taking'into a collar E. In this collar is held by a set-screw e a steel bushing e, and seated in this bushing is the reduced lower end of the governor-shaft F, the upper end of said shaft being seated in a similar bushing in the base E. To the shaft F is secured by suitable means a spiral pinion G, which meshes with a spiral driving-wheel G, keyed H is slidably mounted on the shaft F. Formed integral with said sleeve or separate and secured thereto bysuitable means is a frictiondisk H.

h and h are springs secured, preferably, by screws at their upper ends to the sleeve H and at their lower ends to the shaft F. Governor-balls H and H are secured by screws to the springs 71 and h, respectively.

I designates an arm carrying at its outer end a brake-shoe t, which'shoe is adapted to frictionally engage the under face of the disk H. The arm I is secured to the lower end of a depending sliding post I, passing through an opening in a lug I on the frame A, said post being normally held up by the tension of a spring t,seated in a recess in the lug I and bearing against a collar 7? on the upper end 90.

of the post. The tension of the spring 2" is such as to cause the brake-shoe i to bear against the disk H with such force as to prevent rotation of said disk when the parts are dred rotations per minute.

in the position shown in the drawings, and consequently to prevent rotation of the shaft 13. The post I is slotted longitudinally to receive a wedge-shaped piece L, which bears against the bottom wall of the slot. The wedge L is provided with a handle L, extending upwardly through an opening m in the plate A This handle is provided with an opening through which passes a rod 1, forminga Way to guide the longitudinal movement of the wedge L. When the motor is at rest, the rectangular end Z of the wedge rests in the slot of the post I.

To determine the angle of the wedge L, I depress the post I to release the disk H and permit the motor to run at its maximum speed, in this particular instance two hun- The distance the post I has been depressed to permit the motor to run from zero to two hundred rotations per minute gives the height or base of the Wedge. Then by starting at a suitable pointsay two inches from the posta rightangle triangle is drawn. The angle between the base and the hypotenuse gives the angle of the wedge. Awedge having substantially thisangle is then made and mounted on the machine and the post depressed by the Wedge to the position at which the maximum speed of the cylinder is attained. A mark is made on the plate A to show the position of a pointer on a handle attached to the wedge. Then moving the wedge backward until by the friction between the brake-shoe and disk H the speed is reduced to, say, one hundred rotations per minute as the minimum a second mark is made on the plate A to indicate the position of the Wedge at the minimum speed. Thedistanoe between the two determined points of the scale may be divided as desired, it being evident that any point on the scale intermediate the extremes repre-.

sents a position of the Wedge which will determine the position of the arm I, so that the friction between the brake-shoe i and disk H will permit the rotation of the sound-record cylinder at a speed indicated on the scale. By moving the pointer back from the one hundred or minimum mark the motor will be brought to a stop.

The plate A is made with an opening 111, opposite which is a scale at, to which a pointer Z on the handle L is moved to ind cate and determine the speed of rotation of the soundrecord cylinder.

To provide a yielding tension between the pinion G and wheel G, I interpose springs a and 9 between the base E and the frame A said springs surrounding the screws (1, and a, respectively. Instead of springs I may employ a rubber cushion. The screws a and a pass through blocks or nibs e and a respectively, one of the bearings of both of said blocks being substantially a knife-edge.

The operation of the above-described mechanism is as follows: Suppose a sound-record to have been made, for example, at a speed of one hundred and forty rotations per minute and the same speed is to be maintained when the record is being reproduced. To secure this correspondence, after the cylinder has been placed upon the machine for reproduction the handle L is moved until the pointer Z is over the hundred-and-forty mark on the scale n. This movement of the handle moves the wedge L to the right, depressing the post I, and with it the arm 1, thereby releasing the shoe 2' from contact with the disk H and permitting the shaft B to rotate. The rotation of the shaft B causes the shaft F to rotate through the spiral wheel G and pinion G. The movement of the wedge L causes the arm I and its brake-sheet to assume a certain definite position, which will determine the ultimate speed of rotation of the sound-record cylinder. As the shaft F continues to rotate the balls H and H are thrown outwardly, thus lowering the disk H into contact with the brake-shoe '1', against which it presses with sufficient friction to reduce the rotation of the shaft B to that necessary to brin g the rotation of the sound-record cylinder to the number indicated upon the scale it. This adjustment of the Wedge L takes but an instant of time, and it may be said that practically the speed rotation of the sound-record cylinder is acquired the instant the indicator is moved to the required point on the scale.

Except when in position shown in the drawings, the power ofthe spring-motor is sufficient to overcome the friction between the disk H and the brake-shoe, so that the soundrecord cylinder will be rotated, and the function of the wedge I is to eifect such a relation between the disk H and shoe 2' as to generate sufficient friction to reduce the speed of rotation of the shaft B and, through the connections described, the rotation of the soundrecord cylinder.

My invention is applicable not only to phonographs and graphophones, but to other devices, such as music-boxes and other selfplaying musical instruments driven by a motor.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A speed-governor for motors comprising in combination a driving shaft, a centrifugal governor to control the speed of rotation of said shaft, a disk rotating with and slidably mounted on the governor-shaft, a brake-shoe adapted to fractionally engage said disk, a slotted post on which said shoe is carried, a wedge seated in said slot, and means to move said wedge to adjust the position of the said shoe.

2. In a motor for use with phonographs, graphophones, and similar machines, the combination with a driving-shaft, of a governor actuated by said shaft by suitable gearname to this specification in the presence of ing, a governor-frame, a support for said two subscribing witnesses.

frame and a cushion interposed between said governor-frame and its support to provide a GEORGE MERRILL 5 yielding tension between said gears, substan Witnesses:

tially as described. GEO. E. ORUSE,

In testimony whereof I have signed my CHARLES S. JONES. 

